Not Fatal
by HaloFin17
Summary: An AU for TDW in which Loki is only injured during the battle on Svartalfheim. Unable to heal himself quickly, he is now forced to depend on Thor and accompany him and Jane throughout the remainder of their latest adventure. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **An AU for TDW in which Loki is only injured during the battle on Svartalfheim. Unable to heal himself quickly, he is now forced to depend on Thor and accompany him and Jane throughout the remainder of their latest adventure. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anybody. I just have fun trying to figure out what makes them tick.

**Author's Note: **I also feel the need to add in a sort of personal disclaimer here. I have never picked up a comic book in my life, so all my knowledge for the writing of this story comes from the movies and fellow fanfic authors. If I should happen to blatantly go against the comic book cannon at any time, please know it is not my intention. All the same, even with my knowledge of the Marvel universe as limited as it is, I do hope you enjoy this story.

**Chapter 1**

Thor was losing. That was somewhat of a surprise.

Loki would have to intervene, again, to help rescue him. That was rather less of a surprise.

The monster who had infiltrated Asgard's prison was methodically pounding the God of Thunder to a blonde pulp some distance off, while Mjollnir was nowhere to be seen. Why didn't that great oaf simply summon his favorite weapon like he always did? Perhaps he actually had been beaten senseless? Although admittedly a rare occurrence, it wouldn't be the first time.

Unlike his adopted brother, however, Loki knew better than to charge in against such a formidable opponent without a plan. No standard weapon appeared to have much of an impact against that creature – but what about one of those clever black hole grenades? That ought to do nicely, destroying the beast with its own foul mechanism. He pilfered one from the corpse of one of the Dark Elves he had just slain himself, threw one last look toward the mortal Jane Foster to verify that she was unharmed (he had promised Thor he would, after all), and set off at a run through the ash fields to where Thor's face was being reduced to a bloody mess.

As he approached, the Trickster god saw Thor finally raise his hand in an attempt to call Mjollnir – about time. What Loki did not realize, however, was that Mjollnir had somehow gotten _behind_ him during the course of the battle, and he did not hear the hammer's approach over the sound of constant wind.

The pain erupted on the right side of his body, starting at his hip and running down the length of his leg, and Loki immediately crumpled to the ground with a cry. Mjollnir sailed onward after the unintended collision, yet even that was to no avail when the monster simply swatted it away like an annoying insect.

Loki tried to force himself back to his feet, out of instinct more than anything else, but an overwhelming pain was his body's only response. Panic flaring in his chest, he willed his leg to move just a fraction of an inch. Nothing. He couldn't get the limb to even twitch.

_Damn! _This was _not _how events were supposed to play out. He'd had decidedly different plans for his time on Svartalfheim; now he would have to improvise. As it was, there remained the trifling matter that Thor was still losing his battle and would require Loki's assistance to end it. But Loki could do nothing with his plundered grenade as long as Thor and the monster remained so closely engaged, not unless he wished to destroy them both. And Loki, truthfully, did not want that.

Stubbornly shoving aside his pain for the time being, he grabbed the largest rock within reach and threw it at the combatants. It struck the creature's arm, certainly not enough to injure, but enough to attract its attention. It also gave Loki an indicator of how far he would have to throw his grenade when the time came.

The beast's head jerked up, seeking its latest foe. The diversion worked. With one last punch at Thor's face, the creature left him lying there and marched instead toward Loki, who watched its approach with bated breath. Perhaps he had gambled too heavily on Thor's resilience? He needn't have worried.

The dark monster had only taken a few steps before Thor was lunging at its back again in a renewed attack. The Thunderer was tossed aside with remarkable ease…but it gave his sibling the exact opportunity he needed. With the beast distracted but finally a safe distance from Thor, Loki activated the grenade and tossed it at the monster's feet.

Watching the beast writhe, caught in a miniature vortex until at last it disappeared into nothingness, was every bit as gratifying as Loki had hoped it would be. Only the pain had dulled his satisfaction, and it was to this that the Trickster now turned his full attention. For all the times he and Thor had fought in the past, Loki had never suffered a direct blow from Mjollnir – until now.

His right leg remained useless, a dead weight, and when he sent forth a tendril of his magic to probe the wound, it came scrambling back to him in dismay. His hip bone had unquestionably been shattered by the force of the blow, culminating in a shock wave that had sent series of breaks and fractures down his femur. Hardly a fatal injury, but walking, even for him, would be out of the question until further notice.

"Loki!"

Thor dropped to his knees beside his brother's shoulders and gingerly lifted the younger god's torso off the unforgiving ground, holding him across his thighs with one arm wrapped around Loki's neck to support his head. Loki clenched his eyes shut against the pain caused by Thor's jostling, yet the sentiment was by no means lost on him.

"Idiot," he hissed. "Will you never learn to pay attention to your surroundings?"

The God of Thunder was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry, you know it was not my intention. I had no idea you were so close. Fool! You know we had planned for you to keep your distance."

"Yes, yes, I know. We had also planned for you to destroy the Aether and that monster from the prisons."

Thor had the grace to appear briefly shamed. "It was you who finished it in the end, the demon that killed mother." When Loki didn't respond to that, he tightened his grip and prodded, "How badly are you hurt?"

The Trickster grimaced. "My hip is shattered, and other bones in my leg broken."

"I'm so sorry, Brother." Thor wore his remorse like a garment, and Loki breathed out a long-suffering sigh.

"You've made that abundantly clear, yes."

"Can you heal yourself?"

"I can, but it will take time." And only Loki himself could appreciate how much time. His magic would have to locate every fragment, every splinter, every _particle _of bone before it could begin to knit him back together properly. In the meantime, he would have precious little energy to spare for any other magical endeavors.

The elder god opened his mouth, no doubt to apologize yet again, but he was interrupted.

"Thor!"

Ah, yes, of course – the woman. Loki had almost forgotten about her.

Jane came running up to them, jacket flapping about in the wind behind her. "What happened?" she demanded, breathless, upon reaching them.

"Mjollnir struck Loki by accident," Thor explained woefully, then asked, "Jane, are you well?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Her next glance was for Loki, and it contained something that might have resembled gratitude in a certain light. "But what do we do now? Go back to the ship?"

"No," Loki interjected through his own labored breathing. "There is a windstorm brewing here, and you, at least, will not survive it if you are caught out in the open. We must find shelter."

It was true; ashes were already whipping through the air with force enough leave welts on human skin, and it would only grow worse in the coming hours. For the immortals present, it would merely be an inconvenience, although one Loki would rather avoid in his current condition.

"I will go searching; there must be any number of caves nearby." Thor gave his sibling's shoulder a gentle squeeze before lowering him back down to the rocky turf with the same care as though he was handling an infant.

Once the Thunderer had hurried on his way, Jane came closer and knelt not far from the wounded God of Mischief.

If the ensuing silence was at all awkward, Loki paid it no mind as he struggled to focus on his healing. It almost surprised him, then, when the woman actually spoke.

"Thanks for your help today." She said it grudgingly, as though doing so only out of obligation. "For a while there, I thought you really had betrayed Thor."

Loki offered her a half-hearted shrug in response. "An understandable conclusion, given our recent history together. But what better way to craft new deceptions than with old truths?"

"And I suppose it would have taken too much effort for someone to tell _me _what the plan was beforehand?" The mortal made no effort to disguise the heavy sarcasm in her voice, prompting a brief, open-mouthed smile from the Trickster.

"Your ignorance was a necessary precaution. We needed you to play your part convincingly, and I'm afraid Thor couldn't vouch for your talent as an actress."

Jane didn't argue that point but instead asked, "Was this mostly your plan from the beginning or Thor's?"

"It was his, though I helped him improve upon it."

"And, umm…" Here she paused, her hesitance reemerging. "Are you really from another realm like you said? Or was that just part of the plan, too, to make Malekith trust you?"

"Jotunheim is, unfortunately, the world of my birth; but it is nothing more than that."

Loki's tone was as cold as his native realm, and Jane wisely held her tongue until crunching footsteps shortly afterward betrayed Thor's return.

"I have found a suitable place of shelter," he announced. "It is not far from here, but still we must move quickly."

He reached for Loki, but the younger god raised a hand to stop him. "You don't need to carry me like a toddler, Thor, just _help _me."

He wrapped one arm around his brother's massive shoulders and allowed Thor to lift him off the ground. Loki bit down on an anguished gasp at the motion, his magic screaming at him to remain _still _so he could be better healed, while pain shot up and down his side like a bolt of lightning. Thor paused a moment to let Loki catch his breath, a necessity which the Trickster both resented and appreciated.

To his disgust, he essentially was being carried once they started moving, having to lean the entire weight of his right side upon his brother for support; Thor's arm around his waist had to move him forward without any assistance on every other step. It probably would have been faster if he had simply let the oaf carry him, but Loki was not about to allow that kind of satisfaction at his own expense. As for the woman, what did he care if she was exposed to the elements for a while longer? It was certainly no concern of _his_, no matter what Thor's thoughts on the matter might be.

By the time they eventually reached the cave Thor had discovered, Loki was all but trembling with the pain and exertion of their trip. Thor tried to ease him down sitting against the cave wall, but Loki's discomfort forced him to slump even further until he was lying at full length on his left side. The Trickster grit his teeth and shut his eyes, paying no heed to the uneven stone floor beneath him. He was only vaguely aware of Thor running a quick, reassuring hand through his hair; at least the brute hadn't cuffed him again yet.

Somewhere in the background of his perception, Jane was speaking of how Malekith purposed to destroy each of the nine realms and all of the known universe with one fell blow. His pain-muddled brain wondered distantly if even those dark, hidden places between the branches of Yggdrasil would be likewise eliminated if the Dark Elf was successful.

"How?" Thor was asking in all earnestness, because obviously neither of them had yet drawn the logical conclusion.

The petite mortal shook her head, deep in thought. "When the Aether was still in me, I saw him on Earth. Why would he go there?"

"The convergence," Loki supplied at last. "From Midgard, Malekith will be able to use the Aether with its effects compounded exponentially as it passes from one world to the next. Truly, he could not ask for better circumstances under which to unleash its power."

"Well, we have to stop him then," Jane declared with decidedly Thor-like determination. "We have to find some way to get back to Earth before it's too late."

"Loki." Thor turned an entreating gaze to his sibling. "Do you know of any pathway from here to Midgard?"

The Mischief God closed his eyes again and let his head slip back down to the blessedly cold rock. "I could lead us back to Asgard easily enough, but I know of no sure way to negotiate a passage to Midgard from Svartalfheim. If I were well, I might attempt the journey on my own; however, even then, it would not be wise to experiment with passengers."

"No indeed," Thor sighed. "And now in Asgard, the only thing that awaits us all is either imprisonment or exile."

A grim silence fell over their small company at that until, quite suddenly, the cave was filled with a most peculiar sound.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **An AU for TDW in which Loki is only injured during the battle on Svartalfheim. Unable to heal himself quickly, he is now forced to depend on Thor and accompany him and Jane throughout the remainder of their latest adventure. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing - not even the "Emperor's New Groove" reference, which was totally intentional.

**Author's Note: **Oh wow. This is by far the most positive response I've ever gotten for a story, so a thousand thank-you's to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, or followed! Afraid to report that this isn't going to be a long story - just one more chapter after this. Even so, I'm proud to now give you Chapter Two, which might as well be renamed "Brotherly Bantering." Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 2**

Their cave was filled with a most peculiar sound, the likes of which would never have been heard in Asgard. Some Midgardians might have called it music; Loki could only call it obnoxious.

Thor turned his quizzical gaze first to his brother, then to Jane who could only return it.

"It's not me…" the Thunderer mumbled, still hopelessly perplexed.

But then abruptly the mortal began rummaging through her pockets until she brought out what Loki recognized to be some sort of transportable communication device common to Midgard.

"Hello?" she spoke into it. "Richard? Oh my God, this is incredible!"

Incredible it was. Even Loki was not certain how this could possibly be taking place, but it quickly became obvious that Jane talking to a potential suitor back on Earth. Despite his pain, Loki cracked a wry smile upon seeing Thor's tense, offended reaction when Jane all but begged his rival not to terminate their conversation.

"Some competition for your fair damsel, eh, Brother?"

Thor glared back at him in reply, and the Trickster's smile only widened.

Meanwhile, a bit farther inside the cave, Jane had snatched something up off the floor and was now gesturing urgently for Thor to join her.

"Come on," she whispered, "I think we might be able to get out of here."

For a moment, Loki thought (and almost hoped) that Thor might run after her and forget about him altogether; but such was not his fortune. The Thunderer took a few steps toward Jane before visibly remembering and turning back for his younger sibling. Loki rolled his eyes in a well-practiced motion, but he did not protest when Thor's strong arms lifted him once more.

Together they made very slow progress catching up to Jane, the cave's rugged floor offering a grossly limited pathway for the two of them to navigate with Loki's limping gait, and the slighter god turned his remaining good ankle more than once as they shuffled painfully along.

The fourth time Loki stumbled, Thor finally glanced down and wondered aloud, "Why are there so many shoes in here?"

_Shoes?_ Now confused himself, Loki looked down at his feet, only to see the stone floor of the cave suddenly morph into the paved asphalt of…

"Midgard?"

The realization that they had just passed into a new realm hit Loki hard, and on impulse he tried to violently fling himself out of Thor's hold back through the wormhole. He would later admit it had not been one of his best ideas. The sudden, twisting movement wrenched his injuries in a way that was almost worse than when he had first sustained them, and he collapsed limply in Thor's arms.

"Loki!" his elder exclaimed in surprise, scarcely able to prevent the Trickster from hitting the pavement face-first. "What ails you now, Brother?"

"I cannot be here," Loki panted, nearly frantic. "You should have left me on Svartalfheim!"

"What do you mean? Surely you could not expect us to leave you behind when you can't even stand on your own power."

"But, as you may recall, I am not exactly welcome here."

"Oh? And in what realms exactly _are _you welcome anymore?"

Loki blinked, taken aback and frankly rendered speechless by Thor's uncommon burst of wit.

"Can you not illusion yourself to look like someone less conspicuous?" Thor suggested.

The God of Mischief shook his head. "I really don't have the magical energy to spare right now – not if you want me to heal in a timely fashion."

Thor turned at last to the Midgardian native in their midst. "Jane, where exactly are we? Do you know?"

"Yes," she answered excitedly, "we're in London. This is where you came for me after I first found the Aether. Darcy and I have a flat that we can get to in just a few minutes, if our car is still here."

Jane seemed relieved when her vehicle was, in fact, precisely where she last remembered it; Loki, however, turned up his nose at it upon closer inspection. The car had been quite thoroughly vandalized – hubcaps gone, windows shattered, and electronics plundered. It did not look fit for even a homeless wayfarer, much less for the two princes of Asgard – one current and one former, of course.

"Umm, Loki," Jane addressed him, "maybe you can go in the back seat? You know – lying down, if you're worried about someone seeing you."

He couldn't help biting back, "Right. Because Thor sitting up front won't attract nearly as much attention in your pitifully sequestered realm."

The god in question leveled him with an impressive glare but nevertheless helped lower his brother into the waiting back seat. Although, in retrospect, perhaps he would have been a bit gentler if Loki had not aggravated his temper immediately beforehand.

Shards of glass crunched under his weight when he lay on them, and Loki grimaced, thankful to be wearing at least minimal armor. "Oh, now this is truly wonderful; I've always wanted to lie on a bed of broken glass. My prison cell had finer amenities than this."

"Not to worry, you'll be returning there soon enough," Thor growled, giving him an extra little push for good measure.

Loki gasped at the sharp, sudden pain, then spat, "If we survive what is to come, Thor, I swear I'll turn you into a flea – a harmless little _flea_ – and then the All-Father will smash you to death with your own hammer!"

Jane's brown eyes widened with alarm as she buckled herself in at the driver's seat, while Thor looked instead like he was trying to hide a smile. Evidently he was well accustomed to such threats, but even that was hardly enough to distract him from what he deemed to be a far more important matter at hand.

"So who's Richard?"

"Seriously?" Jane scoffed.

The two of them proceeded to argue about the significance of this Richard person for the next ten minutes until Jane brought the car to a halt in front of a tall brick building and took charge again.

"Okay, boys, two things before we do anything else. One: I have no idea who might be waiting up there for us, but I'm sure they'll be shocked when we walk in, so brace yourselves. Two: the elevator in this building is out of order, so we have to take the stairs on foot." Here she glanced back at Loki. "Thor, with his injuries, he really shouldn't be moving around too much."

Her words stirred something very near to appreciation inside the Trickster who said, "Listen to your good lady, Thor. Why don't you just leave me out here, then? You know I'm not going anywhere."

"If only I did know that, Loki." The Thunder God sounded weary. "But I can't be certain this is not another one of your tricks, buying yourself an opportunity to escape."

There was venom in Loki's green eyes now. "As if my letting you _half _-carry me before wasn't proof enough of my condition. But hear me now, Brother, I will _not_ allow you to carry me up those steps like a maiden being brought to her bridal chamber."

Contrary to his intentions, however, it seemed Loki's words only encouraged Thor to do exactly that. Without the slightest warning, he reached in and pulled Loki out of the car into his arms. Had the Thunderer been slow or gentle in his work, the younger god doubtless would have fought him every step of the way; but Thor did not allow him the opportunity. He moved so quickly that Loki was only aware of the pain the actions caused. The blood drained from the Trickster's already-pale face, and he spit out such a vicious curse in the Aesir tongue that it actually made Thor chuckle.

"Mother would not be so pleased to hear that, Loki."

"Never mind fleas," Loki gasped when he had finally caught his breath, "I _will _kill you when this is all over, Thor, mark my words."

"I mark them well, Brother, never fear."

In spite of his burden, Thor mounted the stairs with ridiculous ease, and they soon arrived at the correct door inside the building. But just as Jane was reaching for the handle, Loki exclaimed, "Thor, stop! Put me down before we go in there, I beg you."

"You beg me?" Thor echoed incredulously. "Really?"

"You would allow more people still to see me like this? Must you subject me to even further humiliation?" The younger god's entreating seemed to soften Thor enough that he complied with the request and returned Loki to the assisted position they had used previously. If the Thunderer noticed that his brother needed even more support now than he had back on Svartalfheim, he wisely made no mention of it – or of the cold sweat that had appeared on Loki's brow.

Jane, still clad in her Asgardian attire, finally opened the door ahead of them, and their entrance was promptly greeted by three dropped jaws and six wide eyes. Loki managed one of his patented smirks, but he had time for little else before Thor whisked him out of sight and into a side bedroom that Jane had indicated. Of course, the oaf wouldn't allow him a chance to gloat at the mortals' awe and fear.

Thor took most of the weight on himself as he gingerly lowered Loki onto a twin bed that was obviously much too short for him; the Trickster paid it no mind, though, relieved as he was to finally be immobile once more. He was still sweating and breathing heavily, even trembling slightly, and it was only with Thor's aid that he rolled over to alleviate the pressure on his shattered hip.

The elder prince's determination to remain hard-hearted weakened a bit at the sight before him, and he reached one hand out in concern to feel Loki's clammy forehead.

"I am not ill," Loki assured him, too lethargic to even swat the other's hand away. "I need only to rest." He did indeed sound tired, and Thor nodded slowly – wanting so desperately to believe what he saw, but not knowing if he could.

Meanwhile, out in the living area, Darcy had recovered her voice first. "Jane, was that…?"

"Loki?" her friend supplied. "As in, the guy who led an alien invasion against our planet not long ago? Yeah, I'm afraid so. But don't worry, I've already slapped him for it."

Darcy slowly nodded in approval. "Good for you, you make me proud. Does this mean I should get my trusty taser back out?"

"Please don't, good lady Darcy." Thor had returned to them, and already he was interceding on Loki's behalf. "My friends, I know you have little reason to assist us, but I entreat you not to alert your authorities to Loki's presence here. He _has _helped us so far, and it was I who wounded him, even if by accident. I have no wish for his situation here to be wrongly taken advantage of."

All eyes then looked to Jane, who confirmed, "Thor's right. I kind of hate to admit it, but ever since I personally met him, Loki's helped us. We would never have gotten out of Asgard without him."

"Okay then, I suppose," Darcy conceded reluctantly. "As long as Thor keeps him out of trouble and he goes back home to Asgard once everything's settled." Her intern, Ian, nodded his agreement to those conditions as well.

Dr. Erik Selvig hadn't said a word thus far, having remained hidden behind the partial shelter of his desk; he kept staring straight ahead as though lost in the pathways of his own mind and memory.

"Erik?" Jane prompted gently.

The man's still-wide eyes flickered up to her, reminiscent of a startled child.

"I don't trust him," he confessed finally, with difficulty. "He's the God of Lies, and I know better than most of you what he's capable of. I don't want to see him or even hear his voice again. But I can try to forget he's here…for Thor's sake."

Thor smiled as though that was the best news he'd heard in his long lifetime. "Thank you, my friend." He stepped forward to embrace Selvig, and when the elderly scientist stood, it became apparent for the first time that he wasn't wearing any trousers.

"He says it helps him think," Ian supplied helpfully.

The next half hour or so consisted of much brainstorming for any method or device by which they might deter Malekith's imminent plan to darken the entire universe. Thor considered more than once that Loki's exceptional intellect would likely have been helpful, if only it could be trusted; but the humans seemed to manage well enough on their own, eventually devising a plan which involved a combination of Jane's scientific knowledge and Selvig's technological equipment. And Thor's hammer, of course.

"And, umm, what do we do with the guy in the next room who recently tried to take over the world?" Darcy spoke up. "Are we gonna just…I don't know, leave him here while we're gone and tell him not to open the door for strangers?"

"I'd be more worried about him playing with sharp objects," Jane put in, recalling with vivid clarity Loki's impressive display of knife-work back on Svartalfheim. Apparently one Loki with a dagger trumped four Elves with laser rifles.

Thor shook his golden head. "If given the slightest opportunity, I've no doubt Loki will try to escape as soon as he is remotely healed."

"Then maybe we could take him with us?" suggested Ian.

"And put him where?" Jane countered. "Any place we put him, he'll either be in danger or in a perfect position to cause trouble again if he chooses. Thor will be too busy to look after him, and even I don't want to see Loki lying there defenseless in the middle of a battle."

At last, Thor sighed heavily, his fingers clutching Mjollnir. "I will deal with him; give me a moment, and then we can be on our way."

While Erik went to find his trousers, Thor quickly fetched a glass of water and returned to Loki's room, a part of him almost expecting to find the Trickster already long departed. But no – Loki still lay motionless in the exact same position where Thor had left him. He did raise his head at the elder god's entrance, however, and eyed Thor warily when he deliberately shut the door behind him.

Loki accepted the proffered glass and drained it after nodding his thanks, temporarily too appreciative to mask his sincerity with a customary sarcastic remark. Predictably, the gratitude didn't last.

"Did you drug this?"

"No…but perhaps I should have." Thor frowned, then asked cautiously, "Is there anything else you require, Brother?"

Loki lay back again and let his eyes fall halfway closed. "Just some peace and quiet would be wonderfully beneficial."

"I believe you will have the chance for exactly that."

One dark eyebrow rose as Thor briefly related their plan to his brother; it didn't exactly fill the younger prince with confidence.

"Ah, yes, of course – because nothing is more relaxing than knowing that your universe is teetering on the verge of annihilation."

Then Thor finally revealed that Loki would be left here alone in their absence, and out came the cuffs once again. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you just put Mjollnir on my chest again?" he suggested flippantly while Thor used the manacles to secure his wrists to the bedframe. "After all, that worked so well for you the last time you tried it."

But Thor suddenly reached for his face then, and all traces of amusement vanished from Loki's visage when Thor grasped his chin in a callused hand.

As he spoke, the God of Thunder's voice was low and unmistakably threatening. "I know this will do little to hinder you if you truly are determined to escape. But mark _my _words, Brother: I swear by our mother's memory, if you are not here after the battle when I return for you, I _will _kill you the next time I see you."

Loki's green eyes glinted dangerously. "Understood."

Yet just as Thor reached the doorway, the younger god spoke again. "And what if someone finds me here like this while you're gone? I really don't have much hope of defending myself, bound or otherwise."

"No one has any reason to look for you here," Thor argued with as much patience as he could muster. "You will be quite safe as long as you remain."

And although there was no lie involved, Loki seriously doubted his brother's words.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **An AU for TDW in which Loki is only injured during the battle on Svartalfheim. Unable to heal himself quickly, he is now forced to depend on Thor and accompany him and Jane throughout the remainder of their latest adventure. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing, even now at the end.

**Author's Note: ** It's December 25th, so what else can I say but "Merry Christmas!" My gratitude once again to all those who have supported this story in one way or another, and I do hope you enjoy the conclusion. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 3**

Loki dozed for a while – or at least he tried to. The bonds around his wrists made it all but impossible to achieve a truly comfortable position. Thor was right, he probably could break through the metal bedframe if he wished; but he truly was so tired, and he did not want to expend the energy just now. Chronic, intense pain could be most exhausting; if only he could get comfortable…

Furthermore, the state of the universe itself wasn't exactly helping Loki in his quest for sleep. His magic could sense the convergence nearing its pinnacle, and the scholar in him longed to witness the event in person. All he could see from here, craning his neck to peer out the room's solitary window, was the top of what he knew to be Malekith's massive ship; the vibrations from its recent collision with the planet had easily reached Loki's hiding place. Now, judging by the continued tremors of various, smaller explosions nearby, he could only surmise that things weren't going all that favorably for Thor and his companions.

In spite of himself, Loki could not quiet the damnable urge to rush out there and help his foolhardy sibling. After all, he was perfectly useless just lying here like a slug; but would he really be of help to anyone if he returned to battle prematurely? If anything, he would just be a liability to Thor in this current state. Yet the desire for vengeance ate at him as well, a desire that had been far from sated by the events on Svartalfheim. Surely there must be _something _he could do, even from here – anything to turn the tides of fortune away from that accursed Malekith.

He had finally decided to just ignore the outside world and concentrate all his energies on healing, when, all of a sudden, a bestial roar reached his ears. A roar that was entirely out of place in Midgard.

Loki involuntarily flinched and tried to curl up on himself for protection as the wall across from him was violently broken down from the outside. When he opened his eyes, blinking away particles of debris, the sorcerer found himself staring into the face of a huge, blue-gray beast with fangs the size of his own forearm. The creature clambered in through the hole it had just created in the wall, and soon its monstrous form filled most of the bedroom. There wasn't much space left for a person to move about now, certainly not enough for Loki to flee.

And Loki did recognize the species, of course; the last time he'd seen one, he'd been running for his life across the frozen wastes of Jotunheim. This particular specimen was smaller than that one had been several years ago, but it was still about to rend him into pieces. What an utterly inglorious way to die! Oh, yes – Thor was _definitely _doomed to spend the rest of his life as a flea for this.

But surprisingly, the creature did not attack him straight away; if anything, it appeared to simply be studying him. Almost expectantly so, as though it was waiting for something. Loki thought back, struggling to remember clearly while this curious peace lasted. The ice monster from before had almost seemed to obey Laufey by pursuing the intruding Asgardians; it certainly hadn't tried to attack any of the Jotuns. Could it even be possible that this beast had purposefully sought him out, the only Jotun in world full of humans?

For the first (and likely the only) time _ever, _he wished his outward appearance betrayed his heritage; he also wished he had the Casket of Ancient Winters back in his possession. But Odin, of course, had forcefully reclaimed that relic before sentencing his adopted son to an eternity of imprisonment, even though the Casket did by all rights belong to Loki as Laufey's son.

Loki did not know, nor care to know, how to lift the omnipresent magic of the All-Father that maintained his Aesir complexion, so he did the next best thing. He summoned an illusion, albeit an illusion of the truth, to give himself the blue skin and red eyes that he knew belonged to his birth form. Then he held his breath, locking eyes again with the creature. It stretched out its thick neck to sniff him briefly before sitting back again, visibly appeased by the demonstration.

Feeling the strain on his magic already, Loki let the illusion fall; thankfully, doing so prompted no retaliation from his guest. It kept staring at him, rather like a servant expecting a new order from his master; and perhaps that was not altogether untrue. Loki allowed himself a cautious half-smile at the thought. Here, indeed, was a way by which he could impact the ongoing battle a few miles distant.

But should he really make an effort to help Thor – again? His reputation for being cold-hearted had already been jeopardized in recent hours. Although…he supposed there was no need for anyone to know of his involvement in this. As far as the rest of the Nine Realms were concerned, the beast's appearance and assistance would simply be a happy coincidence.

"Go to the ship," he spoke lowly, clearly, indicating the vessel with a nod of his head toward the gaping hole in the wall. "You will find a battle; if Thor is there, it will be impossible to miss."

The creature snorted roughly but made no move to leave as yet. Perhaps it was even more intelligent than Loki had been willing to concede, if it realized more detailed instructions were sure to follow.

Though it was difficult with his hands bound, the Trickster awkwardly managed to cast an illusion of Thor into the scant space between himself and the monster. "You will protect this one." He then let the shade vanish, only to replace it immediately with one of Malekith. "And this one you will harm in any way possible. Do whatever you can to stop him and his followers."

The beast bent its head once more to smell the illusion, no doubt curious as to why there was no scent. It occurred to Loki then that he probably should have included Thor's little mortal among those to protect, but it was too late now. The creature's mighty tale smashed another hole in the wall directly above Loki's head as it turned and galloped off like a landslide tumbling down a mountain.

Feeling himself relax again, Loki closed his eyes contentedly. It appeared he did have one loyal subject, after all.

* * *

Thor and his troop of mortal comrades trudged battered but victorious back to Jane and Darcy's flat. The sight of a yawning emptiness on one side of the building greeted them most conspicuously.

Ian's jaw dropped. "Um…that's not good."

"Do you think our insurance will cover damage by an inter-dimensional wormhole?" Darcy wondered aloud.

"Or by a power-crazed God of Mischief?" Erik added grimly.

Thor's heart sank heavily in his chest. He had only been in that building once, yet he knew for certain that Loki's room was on the other side of the devastation. Despite his exhaustion, the Asgardian swung his hammer and flew up to the ledge of the opening, his mounting anger echoed by peals of distant thunder. So Loki had left them after all, then; he shouldn't have been surprised.

But the fresh bloodlust Thor had felt drumming in his head drained away the instant he landed inside the tiny room; for Loki was right there on the bed, exactly where Thor had left him. One raven eyebrow rose elegantly to greet him.

"You are aware, I'm sure, that most people use the door when desiring to enter a room; nevertheless, I know how you like to make a dramatic entrance."

"Loki!" Thor's usual patience was nonexistent now, though some deeper part of him was still relieved to see that his brother had suffered no greater injury. "What happened?"

There came a dramatic sigh. "As usual, you made a terrific mess of things, and this time gigantic creatures from another world ended up causing havoc in Midgard. No doubt the All-Father will be simply thrilled by the diplomatic implications…"

"Enough! Loki, can't you simply tell me what happened here?"

"I just did."

Thor held his tongue, deep in thought, before finally voicing his conclusion. "The beast from Jotunheim."

"Very good." Loki favored him with a single nod. "Now, unless you're planning to fly off and save the day again, I would appreciate it _ever_ so greatly if you'd remove my shackles."

Thor did so, then conjectured, "You mean to say that it found you all the way up here? That it somehow sought you out?"

"It appears so." The younger prince shrugged noncommittally. "I suppose one monster can always recognize another."

Thor's face darkened. "Or it can recognize Jotun royalty. You sent it to help us, didn't you?"

"I admit I sent it your way; perhaps I was just hoping it would eat you."

"No, no, it helped us. It even had me in its mouth at one point, and it certainly did _not_ eat me."

Loki could not help his curiosity at that last statement. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"It saved Jane and myself when it appeared we would both be crushed beneath Malekith's ship; before that, it pursued and slew every Dark Elf that crossed its path. I can't imagine it would have done so for the sake of anyone else but you. You have my gratitude, Brother."

The Trickster rolled his eyes. "I'm sure. All the same, I'd just as soon keep this strictly between the two of us, if you don't mind. What happened to the good creature?" he asked before he could think better of it.

Thor's hesitation was never promising, and Loki knew the answer long before his brother spoke. "It is dead. It tried to attack Malekith himself, but…such a creature, though powerful, is not inherently strong in magic, and it could not withstand a direct blow from the Aether. Still, it did not perish right away; with its last strength, it rescued me and Jane as I have already told you. It fell with as much honor as any warrior of Asgard I have ever known."

"Oh," was all his silver tongue could articulate, and suddenly Loki hated himself for the fresh, inexplicable ache of loss that wrenched his gut. Of course, the Norns would deem it fitting that the one creature in all the universe to obey him willingly should die while carrying out his orders.

Thor sat on the bed next to him then, his demeanor suddenly awkward and timid. He cleared his throat before speaking softly. "Mother did not suffer for long, Loki. Her death was violent…but brief."

Confusion settled unmasked across Loki's pale face. "And you're telling me this now because…?"

"Because now Malekith has been defeated, and I think there can be finally be time for proper grief."

Loki didn't respond, but he found himself blinking rapidly, and he let out a slow, tremulous sigh. He did not resist the warm, familiar comfort of Thor's hand when it came to rest on the back of his neck.

* * *

They stayed with the mortals for the remainder of the evening, promising to return to Asgard at dawn; only Selvig had felt the need to spend his night elsewhere. Thor slept on the floor by Loki's bed, insufficiently covered by what Jane had called a "sleeping bag". Loki was still unrestrained in any way, and he could only be amused at how Thor, sleeping so peacefully, no longer seemed to consider him a threat. Although far from fully healed, the Trickster was by now nearly well enough to attempt an escape if he wished. He lay awake long after Thor's thunderous snores filled the room, mulling over his options.

Initially, he had tried to come to terms with his sentence by telling himself that the Asgardian prison was as safe a place to hide from Thanos as any he might find on his own. Malekith had rather shaken that conviction, though, with his recent actions, and that invasion had cost Queen Frigga her life. Perhaps, if Thanos came next time, it would cost the All-Father's life. That alone might almost make it worthwhile to return to Asgard. If there truly was no escaping Thanos (and Loki was grudgingly inclined to admit this was likely the case), then he might as well make further destruction to the golden realm a price of his eventual capture.

As for Thor? With any luck, Thor would be on Midgard with his new friends when it happened. Then he would have to share Loki's pain in learning about a catastrophe after the fact – when it was far too late to help the loved ones who had perished. Or been taken captive.

Yes, it was decided. For better or for worse, he would go back to Asgard with Thor and there bide his time. The Titan was already moving, and so this new peace that had come upon the Realms was doomed to a brief duration. Loki was already a master of making unexpected events suit his own purposes; he would do so again, when the time inevitably came.

With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes at last and allowed sleep to take him. Thankfully, he had many centuries of experience at tuning out Thor's snoring.

When morning came, Loki could stand and limp briefly forward under his own power. He still needed to put some of his weight on Thor for walking, to which the Thunderer had no objection; they now stood together in a deserted parking lot not far from the flat. Thor opened his mouth, but instead of calling out for Heimdall as expected, he addressed Loki.

"Once we return, I will do all I can to have the things from your cell replaced. I was surprised to see even the books did not escape unscathed."

"Yes," Loki murmured back, "I am rather beginning to regret that. But at any rate, I suppose it's a generous gesture on your part, and so I thank you."

"It's what Mother would have wanted." The remark spawned a sentimental silence that lingered until Loki could endure no more of it.

"Perhaps this time you'll actually remember my existence and come to visit me every now and again?"

An easy smile graced Thor's lips as he replied, "That I shall, Brother – but only if Father doesn't throw me into the cell next to you first. I did commit treason, after all."

"No, I think he'd be more likely to put us in the same cell together as a sort of cruel and unusual punishment. Which it will be, after I turn you into that flea."

Thor laughed aloud at that, and Loki smiled.

**The End**


End file.
